Garment hanger guards



July 15, 1958 H. B'. TILLERY GARMENT HANGER GUARDS F i led Feb. 21, 1955 IN V EN TOR. fiUBERT a. TILLERY amwf-r ww 14" ATTORNEYS GARMENT GER GUARDS Hubert B. Tillery, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Tillery Container Company, Kansas City, Mo., a partnership Application February 21, 1955, SerialNo. 489,674

4.Claims. (Cl. 223-98) This invention relates to an improvement in garment hanger guards for application to ahorizontal bar or rod of a garment hanger for supporting trousers, skirts and the like to protect and prevent the garment from becoming wrinkledand creased when supported on the hanger.

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and set-forth in the claims- In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the invention partly. inqsection. to show its application to a garment hanger;

Figure 2; is a bottom plan. view of the invention;

Figure 3- is a bottom. plan. view showing the guardin its compressed state upon the application of a garment thereto;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view on line 4--4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view on line 55 of Figure 3, and showing a garment positioned thereon;

Figure 6 is a detailed view in perspective of another form of the invention; and

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of the structure shown in Figure 6 illustrating the position assumed by the guard when a garment is applied thereto.

The guard 10 is preferably formed from a relatively stifi or thick paper stock, molded paper pulp, cardboard or plastic, and is shaped or formed into the guard while in a moist or dampened condition. When the guard is formed in this manner it is relatively rigid and stiff and will be pliant or flexible transversely of its length to a small degree, so that it will retain its shape and will not be crushed by the weight of the garment supported thereon.

In making the guard the relatively thick stock of paper is formed on a die or mandrel to provide a curved or arched upper garment supporting portion 12, and with the longitudinal edges of the curved supporting portion having curved inturned beads 13. The paper stock extends inwardly from each bead in a flange 14, which lie in a horizontal plane with respect to the longitudinal axis of the guard to provide a bottom or closure. The longitudinal edge of each flange 14 is provided with alternately arranged flat portions 17 and outwardly flared or flap portions 18. The outwardly flared portions 18 are bent outwardly on each flange edge 14 and are arranged adjacent a flat portion 17 of the same flange. Notches or recesses 16 are formed in each flange and extend inwardly of the flange from the edge thereof between the ends of the adjacent flat portions 17 and flared or flap portions 18. These notches or recesses of the two flanges 14 are in opposed relation transversely of the guard. The flanges 14 are disposed at their adjoining edges in overlapped relation so that the flat portions 17 of one flange will underlie the outwardly flared portions 18 of the other flange as clearly indicated in Figures 2 to 5.

The flat and flared portions or flaps 17 and 18 of the United States Patent 0 "ice two flanges 14 are so disposed with respect to each other in their overlapped relation, that an outwardly flared portion 18 of one. flange will be in opposed relation to a flat portion 17 of the other flange, and an outwardly flared portion 18 will overlap a flat portion 17, throughout the length of the guard. This is the normal position of the flanges 14 of the guard, without any weight imposed upon it, such as a garment supported thereon, and when the flanges are so positioned the recesses or notches 16, of the two flanges will be in opposed relation, that is a recess of one flange will be opposite a recess of the other flange. With the edges of the flanges 14 in overlapping relation a closed semi-spherical shaped guard is provided, and as the beads 13 are arranged longitudinally at the edges of the curved or arched portion 12 they will afford the necessary strength and rigidity to the relatively thick paper stock throughout its length and to the flanges 14, so that the guard will not become distorted, but will be maintained in ahollow semi-spherical shape.

The guard maybe applied to any conventional garment hanger and to accommodate varying lengths of cross bars 21 of a hanger and the guard 10 is made of a sufficient length and provided at the ends thereof with slits 22 for the reception of inclined shoulder portions 23 of the hanger;

The guard has. sufficient rigidity transversely of its length, so that the flat and flared portions 17 and 18 of the flanges 14 will always be in overlapping engagement. The flexibility of the flat and flared portions 17 and 18 permits the cross bar 21 of the hanger to be readily snapped into the guard upon pressure being applied to the guard 10 by the cross bar 21 against the portions 17 and 18.

Upon applying a garment 25, Figure 5, to the supporting portion 12 of the guard the weight of the garment will impart a slight flexing or compressing of the curved or arched shaped supporting portion 12 crosswise of the guard, thereby moving the sides and beads 13 thereof toward each other and bringing the longitudinal edges of the flanges 14 closer together and the flat and flared portions or flaps 17 and 18 into an increased or greater overlapping engagement. Simultaneously the walls of the opposed recesses 16 will likewise be moved into an interfitting engagement, and reducing the size of the opening normally formed by the opposed recesses. The compressing of the Walls of the arched portion 12 by a garment thereon, will cause the walls of the recesses 16 of the adjacent flanges 14 to be moved toward each other and into abutting relation to limit the inward compression of the arched shaped walls toward each other. In this manner a rigid and stable structure is provided which will withstand the weight of the garment imposed thereon without causing any collapsing or crushing of the hollow guard. Furthermore, these flat and outwardly flared portions 17 and 18 arranged in overlapping relation will frictionally resist the side walls from being crushed together, and as the walls of the adjacent recesses of the two flanges are brought into abutting relation they will further strengthen the guard and give added rigidity thereto. The overlapping portions 17 and 18, and the interfitting of the Walls of the opposed recesses 16, provide an interlocking engagement between the flanges 14, preventing any shifting movement of the flanges longitudinally of the guard, and thereby increasing the rigidity of the guard.

In the form shown in Figures 6 and 7 the guard 10 is similarly constructed to that shown in the other figures, however, the flanges 14 have the edges thereof normally arranged in spaced relation for forming a passage 24 therebetween for the reception of the cross bar 21, so that the rod may be snapped into the guard. The beads 13 at the lower edges of the curved or arched portion 12 strengthen and afford sufficient stiffness and rigidity to the :guard throughout its length to maintain the flanges 14 of the guard in a substantially horizontal plane and insure the edges of the flanges abutting when the garment 25 is placed on the guard, Figure 7, and the passage 24 closed. When a garment is placed upon this guard the walls of the guard will be compressed inwardly toward supporting portion and flanges extending inwardly from the longitudinal edges of said supporting portion and toward each other beneath and in spaced relation to said supporting portion, said flanges having the longitudinal edges thereof disposed in overlapping relation and each of said flanges being provided with means for interlocking said flanges together.

2. A garment hanger guard formed from a sheet of relatively stiff paper stock and comprising an elongated supporting portion and flanges extending inwardly from the longitudinal edges of said supporting portion and toward each other beneath and in spaced relation to said supporting portion, said flanges each having alternately arranged flat and outwardly extending flared portions along the longitudinal edges thereof, said outwardly extending flared portions of each of said flanges overlapping 1 said flat portions of said flanges disposed in opposed relation thereto, and means providing an interlocking engagement between said flat and flared portions to prevent longitudinal movement of one of said flan e respect to said other flange.

3. A garment hanger guard formed-from a sheet of relatively stiff paper stock and comprising an elongated supporting portion and flanges extending inwardly from the longitudinal edges of said supporting portion and toward each other beneath and in spaced relation to said supporting portion, said flanges each having alternately arranged flat and outwardly extending flared portions along the longitudinal edges thereof, said outwardly extending flared portions of each of said flanges overlapping said flat portions of said flange disposed in opposed relation thereto, said flanges each being provided with recesses between adjacent flat and flared portions with the recesses disposed in opposed relation and the walls thereof in interfitting engagement.

4. A garment hanger guard formed from relatively stiff sheet material, and comprising a hollow elongated semi-spherical body compressible transversely of its length, and flanges extending inwardly from the longi-' tudinal edges of said body toward each other in overlapping relation and disposed for movement with respect to each other transversely of 'said body, and means for limiting longitudinal movement between the adjoining edges of said flanges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Tillery June 9, 1953 

